Bed attachment

ABSTRACT

FITTINGS AND A CROSS BOARD PARTICULARLY FOR SUPPORTING THE FEET OF INVALIDS WHILE SITTING UP IN BED. AN ANGLE BRACKET IS FITTED OPPOSITELY ON EACH OF THE RAILS OF THE BED, AFTER WHICH AN UPRIGHT IS INSERTED IN A SOCKET IN EACH BRACKET. THE CROSS-BED BOARD IS INSERTED BETWEEN CHANNEL MEANS WHICH ARE ATTACHED TO THE UPRIGHTS. PERTINENT DIMENSIONS ARE SUCH THAT INSERTION OF THE BOARD CREATES A SIDE STRESS ON EACH BRACKET, THEREBY TO SECURELY HOLD THE WHOLE STRUCTURE IN PLACE.

Jan. 12, 1971 w. MINTON I 3,553,747

' BED ATTACHMENT Filed May 22, 1969 FIG. 1.

INVENTOR JAMES W. MINTON BY Km AGENT United States Patent 3,553,747 BED ATTACHMENT James W. Minton, 5125 Whitsett Ave., North Hollywood, Calif. 91607 Filed May 22, 1969, Ser. No. 826,971 Int. Cl. A47c 22/00 U.S. Cl. -327 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Fittings and a cross board particularly for supporting the feet of invalids while sitting up in bed. An angle bracket is fitted oppositely on each of the rails of the bed, after which an upright is inserted in a socket in each bracket. The across-bed board is inserted between channel means which are attached to the uprights. Pertinent dimensions are such that insertion of the board creates a side stress on each bracket, thereby to securely hold the whole structure in place.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to bed attachments, particularly to those for assisting in'valids.

Various attachments are known for assisting invalids in bed, including those for supporting a board across the bed. These have required relatively expensive attaching fitments, employing bolts, nuts and extensively machined parts, or else have not held the attachment firmly in place.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Ease and simplicity in use distinguish the present invention. Small angle brackets are merely slipped over the rails of the bed, even 'while it is occupied by the patient, at the place where a cross-bed board is to be located. An upright is dropped into each socket of an angle. The board is easily forced into channels, which are attached to the uprights, and the installation is complete. Tools are not necessary, nor is there any need for attaching a nut where it cannot be seen or for revolving screws a multiple number of times. Nursing personnel can easily install, reposition and remove the attachment of this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross-bed elevation of the attachment installed on a bed. The bed is shown in transverse section immediately forward of the installation.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one angle bracket.

FIG. 3 is an end view of a modified board, shown in an inclined position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1, numeral 1 indicates a left-hand metal angle bed rail, in section, and numeral 2 the right-hand rail of the same bed. While the bed may have any construction, it is represented as having a series of transverse springs 3, 4 connected by flexible metal slat 5 and attached to rails 1 and 2, respectively. Mattress 6 is supported by the rails and slats, and it may have known vertically disposed coiled springs.

In applying the attachment to the bed a pair of angle brackets 7 are slipped over rails -1 and 2 opposite one another. These brackets are detailed in FIG. 2. A single type of bracket construction serves for either the right or the left-hand rails. Since springs 3, 4 are repeated every few inches along the length of the bed, it is simple to choose unobstructed points between any of these springs for at- 3,553,741 Patented Jan. 12, 1971 taching the brackets at a location desired for the foot board.

It will be noted from FIG. 2 that each bracket 7 is in one piece and has no moving parts. Steel of furniture grade, plated to be rust-proof, or stainless steel, are suitable materials for the bracket. In quantity production it may be formed by casting. For custom construction a short section of steel angle is the starting piece. Top 9 represents one leg of the angle, the horizontal leg. The end thereof is bent to hook form 10, such that a bed rail is quite firmly grasped when the bracket has been hooked over the same.

The second side 11 of the angle is vertical when the bracket is in place on a rail. For custom construction a U shaped piece having sides 14 and 15 and base 16, is welded to side leg 11. This creates a vertically disposed bottomless slot having walls 11, 14, 15 and 16. A horizontally disposed stop rivet '17 is fastened in place near the bottom-center of walls 11 and 16. It is flush at least at wall 11, so that the fit of the bracket over the bed rail will not be impaired.

An upright 19 is inserted in the slot in each bracket 7, being supported from falling through by rivet 17. The upright may be a piece of steel bar, 1 /2" wide by thick, or an equivalent rectangular tube having the same outside dimensions. The dimensions given are illustrative, the parts may be correspondingly larger or smaller as required.

As shown in FIG. 1, uprights 19 extend above mattress 6 an amount approximately equal to its height. A hole is provided near the upper end of each upright. Typically, channel means 20 are also provided, each having a threaded stud 21 welded to the flat side of the center of the channel and projecting away from it. With washers on each side of each upright, wing nut 22 is threaded onto the extremity of each stud, to fasten a channel to an upright.

Board 23 is held between each of channel means 20, fitting into the channel groove thereof. The length of the board (transverse of the bed) is sufficiently long to require that it be slightly forced into the channel means. This puts an outward stress on each upright 19 and a force on each bracket 7, securely holding the brackets to the rails of the bed.

Board 23 may be of any size or shape as long as it fits between the channels, but a maximum height of 12 inches is typical. When in use each wing nut 22 is tightened in the normal manner, usually to position the board vertically. However, by adjustment, or by intentional force exerted by the feet of the patient, the inclination of the board can be altered. For the board to act as a table, longer or extensible uprights 19 are provided.

For applications where the board is to be used for a book rest it is given an inclined position by adjustment of channel means 20 and is provided with a lip 26 at the bottom, as shown in FIG. 3. In this way modified board 23' retains such objects as indicated dotted at 25, which may include magazines, books or writing material, with writing implements retained by lip 26, if also desired. When board 23' is used as a foot rest, lip 26 is down near the bed and does not interfere with the patient because of the curve of his heel. When any board is used as a foot rest the bed covers are normally placed over the board. This removes them from the feet of the patient and provides a comfortable freedom in this respect.

Should light weight of the attachment be desired, the several side elements may be formed of an aluminum alloy, such as 20ll-T3, and the board may be formed of a sheet of the same, corrugated for increase in strength. For casting bracket 7 of aluminum, that having the trade designation Red X-8 or 319 is suitable. A solid bottom to the socket may also be cast in lieu of rivet 17.

I claim:

1. A bed attachment comprising;

(a) a pair of angle brackets (7), formed to slip over opposite rails (1, 2) of a bed,

each said bracket having a return lip (10) upon its horizontal leg and a socket (11, 14, 15, 16) upon its vertical leg coextensive with the vertical extent of said rail,

(b) a rigid upright (19) to removably enter each said socket,

(c) a cross-bed board (23), having a length incrementally greater than the inside distance between the vertical extents of said opposite rails, and

(d) channel means (20) attached to each of said uprights to receive the ends of said board,

whereby inserting said board into said channel means creates an outward stress upon each said bracket (7) to fixedly retain the same upon said rails.

2. The attachment of claim 1, in which said channel means is comprised of; l

(a) a channel member (20) having a groove to coextensively receive said board (23), and

(b) a screw fastening (21, 22) to adjustably fasten each said channel member to a said upright (19).

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 998,996 7/1911 Swenson et a1. 53l7 1,883,974 10/1932 Kusterle 5-332X 2,807,032 9/1957 Tunney 53 17 FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner 5 A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

